Top STEM and Academic Camps in Victoria

For those of you who don’t know, STEM is a popular acronym for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.” Opportunities in the STEM fields are on the rise, meaning it has never been a better time to learn how to create and innovate!

If you want your kids to get a competitive edge learning code, game design, robotics and many other awesome activities check out our list of the Top STEM & Academic Camp providers below.

The Royal BC Museum’s mission is to promote an understanding of the living landscapes and cultures of British Columbia and engage people in a dialogue about their future. This year's featured summer camps include Mammoth Camp, where campers will explore the feature exhibit, build mini-dioramas, and dig for fossils; and Live Sustainably - Then and Now Camp, based at both the Royal BC Museum, and the O.U.R. Ecovillage in Shawnigan lake.

Aside from top quality instruction in in voice and musical instruments, the VCM Summer Academy offers programs in music theory, a cultural music journey in their World Music Explorers camp, and free Music Therapy camps!

Programs are offered at both their Downtown and new Westhills locations.

Need an idea for that smart chatty kid? Debate Camp offers training in Public Speaking, Debating and Model United Nations for students in grades 6 to 11. This multi-leveled program suits all abilities, from the novice to experienced speaker. Kids come away with renewed confidence in how best to express the spoken word. New ideas, lots of fun and skills development for higher learning and life!

St. Margaret's Summer Camps are for girls from Kindergarten to Grade 6. Each week of summer camp is robust, with plenty of activity, field trips, and supported by guest specialists. This year’s camps themes include Road to Rio, an Olympic Sports inspired camp, as well as a mix of culinary, artistic, theatrical, and STEM themes!

While the Vikes Recreation programs are known more for their high performance athletics programs, they also offer some more academic-related camps--mainly the Vikes Adventurers (activities include rock climbing, orienteering, geocaching, etc.), and Vikes Summer Fun (activities such as scavenger hunts, science experiments, interactive games, and more).

Startup Skool provides the ultimate summer camp experience educating youth on entrepreneurship, design thinking and coding. Their programs are designed to educate youth to think differently, stay curious, innovate and have the confidence to design and bring their ideas to an ever-changing world. Summer Camps include Innovation Camp, Design Thinkers, and Tech Entrepreneurs.

Bricks 4 Kidz® camps are a fresh and fun way for kids ages 5-13+ to spend their school or holiday break! Guided by experienced teachers and built around exciting themes like Amusement Parks, Space and Robotics, children will enjoy using LEGO® Bricks to build specially-designed Bricks 4 Kidz models, play LEGO® games and explore the world of engineering and architecture.

Emmanuel has six affordable camps for children from Preschool up to Grade 6. Learn to dance, explore the jungle and much more! At Vacation Bible School kids will explore the Deep Sea with games, interactive storytelling, crafts and singing. Come play and learn how God is with us wherever we go. The camper to adult ratio is very low with competent staff and volunteers.

St. Michaels University School is offering a wide range of STEM related camps for children ages 8-14. Children between 9 and 14 can choose from Build and App, 2D Video Game Design, 3D Animation, or Music and Video Production (in partnership with Byte Camp). Budding young programmers can enroll in Code:makers for grades 2-3 and grades 4-5 (in partnership with UVIC's Science Venture).

Did you find any STEM camps or classes that your kids will love? We hope so.If not, don’t sweat it!

ChatterBlock has a huge, kid-friendly, comprehensive list of all the best local camps and classes. Check out our “Camps & Classes” tab on our homepage for more details.

Written by Jan Cleaver

Yes, I know Jan Cleaver is almost "June Cleaver" from Leave it to Beaver! My parents had a good sense of humor.

I was a freelance writer years ago, and excited to do some editing for ChatterBlock.

The subject matter is ideal for me as a stay-at-home mom, who loves planning activities for my kids and their playmates.